Dec. 25-31 Arts Calendar

What's coming up at Northeast Florida galleries, museums, theaters and more

THE COLORS: Jack Allen’s “In Bloom Cabana Stripes” is displayed, along with the works of 25 local artists and guest artist Hillary Hogue, at Southlight Gallery in Downtown Jacksonville. The UNF Faculty Show runs through December.

AMATEUR NIGHT AT THE RITZ Modeled after Harlem’s “Amateur Night at the Apollo,” the host searches are held Jan. 3 and every first Friday of the month at The Ritz Theatre & Museum, 829 N. Davis St., Downtown, $5.50. 632-5555.

A CELEBRATION OF CULTURES The Art Center accepts art in all media “celebrating our differences as well as common interests” that help unite and educate, through Jan. 1 at Premier Gallery. The exhibit opens with a reception 5-7 p.m. Jan. 2 at the gallery, Bank of America Tower, 50 N. Laura St., Downtown, 355-1757, tacjacksonville.org/premier.html.

THEATRE OF YOUTH AUDITIONS The Jewish Community Alliance’s Theatre of Youth holds open auditions for its upcoming production of “Annie,” 1 p.m. Jan. 5 at JCA 8505 San Jose Blvd., Mandarin, 730-2100 ext. 252.

TEEN ART CONTEST Kids ages 12-18 may submit a maximum of up to three entries for the Public Library’s Teen Art Contest – including photography, mixed media and sculpture – through Jan. 15 at any library. 630-0673, jaxpubliclibrary.org/teens/teen-art-contest2014.pdf.

TOAST! TO THE NEW YEAR! The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra rings in the New Year with tenor Mike Eldred, followed by live music and dancing, 8:30 p.m. Dec. 31 at the T-U Center’s Jacoby Symphony Hall, 300 W. Water St., Downtown, $75-$150, 354-5547, jaxsymphony.org.

ST. JOHN’S CATHEDRAL CHOIR CAROLS Tim Tuller directs the choir in “Nine Lessons and Carols,” 5 p.m. on Dec. 31 at St. John’s Cathedral, 256 E. Church St., Riverside; the congregation may sing as well. A nursery is provided; free, 356-5507.

CUMMER MUSEUM OF ART & GARDENS 829 Riverside Ave., Riverside, 356-6857, cummer.org. “The Art of Empathy,” an exhibit showcasing a permanent collection masterwork, “Mother of Sorrows,” one of five known works by the Master of the Stötteritz Altar, is displayed through Feb. 16. The artistic and devotional contexts of painting are explored through 21 works, 19 of which are borrowed from collections in the United States and Germany. “Modern Dialect: American Paintings from the John and Susan Horseman Collection” continues through Jan. 5. Florida State University Professor William Walmsley displays his work through July 8. “The Human Figure: Sculptures by Enzo Torcoletti” is on display through September.

KARPELES MANUSCRIPT MUSEUM 101 W. First St., Springfield, 356-2992, rain.org/~karpeles/jaxfrm.html. “Works of Yard and the Art of Lawn” continues through Dec. 31. “Russia,” a history of Russia from Peter the Great to the first conquest of space, is on display through Dec. 28. The permanent collection includes other rare manuscripts.

MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART JACKSONVILLE 333 N. Laura St., Downtown, 366-6911, mocajacksonville.com. Ingrid Calame’s exhibit “Tarred Over Cracks” continues through March 9 as part of Project Atrium in Haskell Atrium Gallery. The first exhibit to encompass the entirety of Michael Goldberg’s work, “Abstraction Over Time,” reappraises his contribution to postwar painting and presents a case study of the transformations of abstraction in American art, through Jan. 5. “Mythos: From Concept to Creation” – sculptural works by Enzo Torcoletti, reflecting a symbolic diversity of the human form – are displayed through Jan. 19 in the UNF Gallery MOCA. The exhibit “Material Transformations,” in which seven artists uncover symbolism through unconventional substances, opens with a preview reception 6-7 p.m. Jan. 24 for museum patrons; 7-9 p.m. for members ($10 suggested donation for guests). The exhibit runs Jan. 25-April 6.

MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY 1025 Museum Circle, Southbank, 396-6674, themosh.org. “Great Balls of Fire: Comets, Asteroids and Meteors,” developed by The Space Science Institute’s National Center for Interactive Learning, examines risk related to an asteroid hitting Earth and what scientists can learn from the objects; through Dec. 31. “Uncovering the Past: Archaeological Discoveries of North Florida” is on display through August.

THE ART CENTER PREMIER GALLERY Bank of America Tower, 50 N. Laura St., Ste. 150, Downtown, 355-1757, tacjacksonville.org/premier.html. “Our Feminine Side,” a multimedia exhibit of works representing the female form, women’s issues, politics and the stages of womanhood, is on display through December. The exhibit is a joint presentation with the Women’s Center of Jacksonville.

AVONDALE ARTWORKS 3562 St. Johns Ave., Avondale, 384-8797, avondaleartworks.com. “Hats Off to Dr. Seuss!” – an exhibit of the author’s hat collection alongside a series of estate-authorized works from Ted Geisel’s original drawings, paintings and sculpture – is on display through Jan. 5.

CoRK ARTS DISTRICT 2689 Rosselle St., Riverside, 707-0030, corkartsdistrict.tumblr.com. Thony Aiuppy’s “The Darkness Beyond Tomorrow,” an exhibit on the subject matter of portraiture and the figure, opens with a reception 6-8:30 p.m. Dec. 27 in CoRK’s North Gallery. The exhibit may be viewed by appointment through Jan. 2.

SPACE:EIGHT GALLERY 228 W. King St., St. Augustine, 829-2838, spaceeight.com. “Playbook,” an exhibit of works fueled by desires, hunger and thirst, by Georgia artist George Long and Brooklyn’s Mario Schambon, runs through January.